A brand new interactive story trail is coming to Platt Fields Park next week.
The trail – which is based on a story about elves in the Fallowfield park written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley – is organised and delivered by the National Literacy Trust.
It’s one of 12 story trails launching across the country next week as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign.
The campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines, all whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home.
“This story trail is yet another wonderful activity which brings learning to life in pre-school children in a fun and exciting way,” said Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar.
ADVERTISEMENT
“There is also the added benefit of being in the great outdoors allowing children to be free as well as getting a daily dose of exercise in one of our stunning parks and is sure to be a winner with families across the city.”
The trail will be led by park ranger Mary Clements, who will guide families around the park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Scruffy – all while aiding language and literacy development by filling out an activity booklet along the way.
ADVERTISEMENT
There will also be an elf garden and elf-making activities to get involved with, and everyone will walk away with a free book thanks to Read Manchester’s Look for a Book partnership.
Writer Rebecca Lewis-Oakes said she is “absolutely thrilled” to be working with the National Literacy Trust and local partners in Manchester on this project.
She said: “It has been a pleasure to discover so many beautiful parks across the country and view them through the exuberant imagination of pre-schoolers [and] I hope this Hungry Little Minds story trail encourages families to explore and enjoy Platt Fields Park, with a gentle underlying prompt toward those key Early Years learning concepts.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I look forward to seeing the little one’s reactions as they make their way around the magical trail.”
The Hungry Little Minds trail is aimed at children between the ages of two and five / Credit: iStockPhoto
Hungry Little Minds’ Programme Manager Ella Burns added: “These story trails are perfect for families with young children to enjoy throughout the summer months, helping children develop their literacy skills, whilst enjoying a fun and free outdoors adventure.”
The story trail launches on Monday 5 July, with the first session starting at 10am and the second taking place at 1pm.
You can find more information about the trail by checking out Read Manchester here.
Featured Image – Unsplash
What's On
There’s a HUGE retro vintage and vinyl fair heading to Urmston
Thomas Melia
A fair dedicated to all things vintage and vinyl is making its way over to Urmston this weekend, packed with lots of unique stalls and vendors.
Whether you’re after another leather jacket to add to your collection or hunting down a rare LP, this event covers all bases.
The ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is coming back to Urmston for 2025 and is a must-visit for any fans of vintage clothing, record collectors and anyone after a fun day out in Greater Manchester.
This unique day-long fair is returning to The Venue, one of Urmston’s large event spaces, this weekend.
There’ll be 25 independent traders and shoppers with everything from retro homeware to jewellery and accessories.
Anyone thinking of attending this vintage fair will be greeted with plenty of cute and quirky gift ideas, perfect for yourself or that one friend who is living their best retro lifestyle.
Grab a bargain and a snazzy new addition for your wardrobe at Urmston’s vintage fair. Rare pieces and interesting vinyl finds on hand at the vintage fair in Urmston.Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Alongside the stalls selling vintage goodies this year brings the arrival of all-new craft workshops, where visitors will be able to make and create retro lampshades or a tealight lantern with all materials provided.
These exciting classes will be ran by none other than creative mastermind Sarah from The Gingham Flamingo, a company which sells lots of fascinating handmade fabric garments.
After all that vintage retail therapy, ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is treating you to some lovely ways to soak up the atmosphere even more with a vintage bar, street food vendors and barista -style coffee cart.
Michelle Barratt, founder of So Retro Events. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to discover hidden treasure and soak up the retro atmosphere, and we’re very excited to bring interactive workshops to our even for the first time!”
There will be plenty of quirky pieces to add to your wardrobe.Lots of friendly faces and unique vintage finds in Urmston this weekend.Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
So if you’re a lover of all things vintage or just fancy a different kind of day out, head over to Urmston this weekend and get ready to step back in time.
The ‘So Retro Vintage & Vinyl Fair’ is coming to Urmston on Saturday 26 April from 10am to 3pm and all you have to do is pay a small fee of £2 on the door upon arrival. The workshops are an additional £20.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
What's On
Burna Boy at Co-op Live – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘I Told Them…’ tour
Thomas Melia
Nigerian superstar Burna Boy is heading to Manchester for one night only, performing all the hits right here at the lovely Co-op Live.
Burna Boy, a.k.a Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, has been steadily making a name for himself in the music industry for just over a decade, thanks to the release of his debut LP L.I.F.E back in 2013.
During his time as an artist, he has seen periods of quick-fire growth, with many standout tracks like ‘Last Last’ and ‘We Pray’, as well as a feature on UK rapper Dave’s tune ‘Location’, just to name a few.
Ogulu is a lover of collaborations too. His list of featured tracks is stacked with a roster of UK talents, including R’n’B favourites Jorja Smith and Mahalia, right through to pop powerhouse Ed Sheeran.
His prolific discography – littered with fellow artists and singers known for pushing the envelope – makes perfect sense, as this Nigerian star doesn’t stick to just one genre; instead, his particular brand of music has been dubbed ‘Afro-fusion’.
The contemporary West African icon not only utilises elements of Afrobeats, but he also makes sure to blend R’n’B, hip-hop, dancehall and lots more.
Safe to say we and millions of others around the globe are big fans.
With that in mind, Burna Boy’s latest visit, not just to Manchester but for a Co-op Live debut, is a highly anticipated one. For those of you who are heading to the arena, here’s everything you need to know.
Burna Boy at Co-op Live – all the important info
Credit: Publicity Image (supplied)
Burna Boy UK tour dates
Mon 21 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Fri 11 to Sun 13 July – London, UK – Finsbury Park (Wireless Festival)
That’s right, we’re the lucky ones, as not only is Burna Boy’s Manchester gig just one of two UK shows, but it’s also the only headline date this year, as the 33-year-old will be playing Wireless Fest 2025 this summer down in the capital.
Burna Boy tickets for Co-op Live gig
You’ll be glad to hear that the show isn’t quite sold out just yet. Those who are interested in attending Burna Boy’s only UK arena stop on his ‘I Told Them…’ tour can choose from a range of tickets.
The star has options for standing, lower seating and upper seating all on offer ahead of his exclusive arena gig at Co-op Live, starting from £82.05.
Grab your coveted tickets before it’s too late and see for yourself whether you ‘Want It All’ on the front row or prefer ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ – HERE.
In case you need any more convincing, these were the scenes over Paris way…
Im surprised nobody has shared this Epic moment from Burna’s boys Paris show.
I wonder what it must feel like as an artist to have this amount of people screaming something you created back at you.
There’s no official setlist published, however, these tracks are based on his performance at the Stade de France in the suburb of Saint-Denis last week, as per Setlist-fm:
7 Seconds
(Youssou N’Dour cover)
Level Up (Twice as Tall)
Tested, Approved & Trusted
For My Hand
On the Low
Cheat on Me
Big 7
On Form
Alone
Talibans II
Location (Dave track)
4 kampé II featuring with Joé Dwèt Filé
Laboratoire (WeRenoi cover)
Laho featuring Shallipopi)
Kilometre
City Boys
Bundle By Bundle
It’s Plenty
Update
Ye
Last Last
You can expect to hear his most recent single for sure.
What are the stage times for Burna Boy in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you’ll be able to stay right to the ‘Last Last’ song of the night without welcoming in the next day.
Doors for the ‘I Told Them…’ tour are scheduled for 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 8pm with no confirmed support act, however, DJ Shayne Given will be taking over the arena’s exclusive ‘Backstage Club’ after the show (tickets are required).
You can purchase both after-party tickets and early access HERE.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
ADVERTISEMENT
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live; be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
ADVERTISEMENT
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Emily Sergeant -
29th June 2021 
